Investments (Details 3) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Balance of Credit Losses Impairment Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
Beginning balance	$ 176	$ 303	$ 297
Credit losses for which an other-than-temporary impairment was not previously recognized	2	2	15
Credit losses for which an other-than-temporary impairment was previously recognized	7	32	19
Reductions for securities sold during the period (realized)	(38)	(161)	(28)
Ending balance	147	176	303
Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	576	120
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	6,712	1,351
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(210)	(13)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	147	153
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	1,015	927
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(130)	(148)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	723	273
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	7,727	2,278
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(340)	(161)
Corporate debt securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	181	76
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	2,817	801
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(83)	(6)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	12	6
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	181	70
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(14)	(3)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	193	82
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	2,998	871
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(97)	(9)
Residential mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	128	22
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	2,393	408
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(66)	(5)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	113	134
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	663	658
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(71)	(107)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	241	156
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	3,056	1,066
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(137)	(112)
Commercial mortgage backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	35
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	426
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(10)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	4
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	22
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(2)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	39
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	448
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(12)
Asset backed securities | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	40	9
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	531	108
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(7)	(1)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	4	5
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	32	86
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(1)	(3)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	44	14
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	563	194
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(8)	(4)
State and municipal obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	169	13
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	468	34
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(36)	(1)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	14	8
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	117	113
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	(42)	(35)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	183	21
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	585	147
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	(78)	(36)
Foreign government bonds and obligations | Ameriprise Financial
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Less than twelve months, Number of positions	23
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Fair value	77
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Less than twelve months, Unrealized losses	(8)
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Twelve months or longer, Number of positions	0
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or longer, Fair value	0
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Twelve months or more, Unrealized losses	0
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Qualitative disclosure, Number of positions	23
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Fair value	77
Available-for-sale securities, Continuous unrealized loss position, Unrealized losses	$ (8)